By Rebecca Saltzburg • June 21, 2026
Chris Butler claims to represent Vaishnava Hinduism, and his disciples enlist Hindu groups to shield Tulsi Gabbard. But his own recorded lectures, set beside the tradition's most revered teachers, show he contradicts the faith he claims at every turn.
Chris Butler is the founder of the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF), a small, secretive religious organization. He is Tulsi Gabbard's guru, and he controlled her political life from the beginning. He claims to represent the Vaishnava Hindu tradition, and he regularly leans on Hindu religious groups to provide political cover for Tulsi. Yet Butler himself is wildly disrespectful to other Hindu gurus. Bhaktivinoda Thakur, one of the most revered acharyas in the very lineage Butler claims, taught that an unqualified guru should be rejected. In my view, Butler disqualifies himself through his own words and actions.
I grew up in a home where we celebrated all major Christian and Jewish holidays. I later added Eastern religion to my own deeply held spiritual beliefs. No one owns anyone's personal relationship with God. It is our divine right to connect with, or not connect with, God in whatever ways we choose.
Butler's attempts to make himself the "decider" of whether someone is connected to God, based on their blind loyalty to his quest for power and money, is a sickening mockery of real Vaishnava Hinduism.
I spent years in Butler's inner circle. I saw what happened behind the curtain. He kept a full-time staff of 10 to 20 unpaid people at all times, demanding complete servitude. He and his wife Huilan Zhang, known publicly as Wai Lana, maintained multiple beachfront properties for just two people. He screamed at people over minute mistakes. And he lied, constantly, pressuring everyone around him to lie on his behalf.
Sectarian spirit is the greatest enemy of mankind.Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Sri Krishna Samhita 2
Equal vision: seeing the divine in all living beings
What Hinduism teaches
"He is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress."
Bhagavad Gita 6.32 3
Seeing all living beings with love, with equal vision, is at the heart of Vaishnava Hindu philosophy. Every living being is of the same spiritual essence, emanating from the same supreme source. A truly realized person sees that spark in everyone, regardless of status, background, or which tradition they follow. It is an intrinsically inclusive and uplifting vision.
Chris Butler's lectures
"...appointed acharyas who are simply dogs in disguise, that's all."
Butler lecture, May 17, 1981, Code A01A3-B 4
"Both of these fellows are nonsense."
Butler on Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, Nov. 9, 1997, Code G18A2 4
Butler's recorded lectures contain 163 documented quotes attacking other Hindu gurus by name, calling them "dogs," "demons," "bogus," "jackasses," and "nonsense." He attacked leaders of ISKCON, the Gaudiya Math, Paramahansa Yogananda, Sai Baba, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Swami Vivekananda, and Ramakrishna, traditions representing hundreds of millions of practitioners worldwide. 4
Intelligence, inquiry, and testing the guru
What Hinduism teaches
"Having examined (parikshya) the worlds attained by karma, a seeker of truth should become detached... Let him approach a spiritual master who is learned in the scriptures and established in Brahman."
Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.12 5
The Sanskrit word parikshya means "having examined" or "having tested." The Vedic tradition does not ask you to turn off your brain. It tells you to use it. A seeker is supposed to examine, test, and evaluate before accepting spiritual guidance. The Bhagavad Gita calls this buddhi-yoga, the yoga of intelligence and discrimination. 6
Vaishnava Hinduism encompasses some of the great intellectual literary works of all time. Real Vaishnava Hinduism requires using your intelligence to be in alignment with the divine. Blind following is the opposite of true Vaishnava Hindu teachings.Rebecca Saltzburg
Chris Butler's lectures
"If a person is diplomatic or political in his relationships with his guru, he does not appreciate the transcendental nature of his guru then automatically he will not be able to take the instruction of his guru as his life and soul."
Butler lecture, undated 7
In Butler's framework, any critical thought, any "diplomatic or political" approach, means you have already failed spiritually.
When a guru should be rejected
What Hinduism teaches
Bhaktivinoda Thakur, one of the most important acharyas in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, the very lineage Butler claims to represent, gave explicit criteria for when a guru should be rejected: 8
If the disciple accepted a guru without testing whether he was fully conversant with the science of the Absolute Truth, and the disciple later discovers the guru is not such a person, that guru should be rejected.
Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Jaiva Dharma, Chapter 20 8
If the disciple accepted a qualified guru, but that guru later became envious of Vaishnavas due to bad association, that guru should be rejected.
Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Jaiva Dharma, Chapter 20 8
The tradition itself says: if your guru turns out to be unqualified, or if your guru becomes envious and hostile toward other Vaishnavas, reject him. This is the teaching of one of the most revered acharyas in the exact lineage Butler claims.
Chris Butler's lectures
"It can take you twenty years, twenty lifetimes to come to the point of coming into contact with a pure devotee of Krishna, twenty thousand lifetimes... and then twenty years of learning from that person, but in one night, the whole thing can be destroyed by this offence of considering the spiritual master to be an ordinary person and then blaspheming him."
Butler lecture, undated, Code S60A2-B 7
Butler teaches the opposite of Bhaktivinoda Thakur: that questioning the guru destroys twenty thousand lifetimes of spiritual progress "in one night." By equating his fanaticism with Hinduism, Butler distorts true Vaishnava theology. His teachings are psychological control designed to prevent anyone from leaving or speaking the truth about him and his inner circle.
Dharma is nuanced and requires thoughtful deliberation
What Hinduism teaches
"The ways of dharma are subtle. Even the great sages disagree among themselves. The truth about dharma lies hidden in the heart of each person."
Mahabharata, Vana Parva 313.117 (Yaksha-Yudhishthira dialogue) 9
King Yudhishthira, considered the embodiment of dharma, was asked the most difficult moral questions by a Yaksha at the edge of a lake. His answer: dharma is subtle, and even the great sages disagree. Morality requires nuance, careful reasoning, and the courage to sit with difficult questions. This passage has inspired Hindu thinkers for thousands of years because it honors the complexity of being human.
Chris Butler's lectures
"That is the foundation of atheism. That is the foundation of demonism. Demonism means the consciousness where a person, being angry at God, stops saying His Names, closes Him out of their heart... Being angry at Krishna, we join the other team."
Butler lecture, July 29, 2001, Code D50A2-B 7
No nuance. No thoughtful deliberation. You obey, or you are a "demon" who has "joined the other team."
Compassion for all living beings
What Hinduism teaches
"One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled..."
Bhagavad Gita 12.13-14 10
"Mercy to living entities is one of the main constituents of Vaishnava dharma. It is the inherent nature of a Vaishnava to be kind to all living beings. When this nature is not detected, one cannot become a Vaishnava even if one has thousands upon thousands of other external symptoms."
Bhaktivinoda Thakur 8
Without compassion, "one cannot become a Vaishnava even if one has thousands upon thousands of other external symptoms." Kindness is not optional in the Vaishnava tradition. It is foundational. A person who screams at followers, exploits their labor, and fails to protect children does not qualify, no matter how many lectures they give or how many Sanskrit verses they can recite.
Chris Butler's lectures
In these recordings, Butler screams at a woman for lending a book to children, a translation of Hindu scripture by an author outside his lineage. He calls it "spiritual poison":
"If you distribute them spiritual poison that destroys their life spiritually, eternally, you think that is a small thing. It is not. You're very mistaken. You've condemned yourself."
Butler lecture, July/August 1988, Code Q23A3 7
"If any so-called disciple thinks you can distribute poison, like she has distributed poison to these children today... you are sadly mistaken. You've condemned yourself. That must be distributed to all my disciples."
Butler lecture, July/August 1988, Code Q23A3 7
Real Hinduism teaches compassion. Butler teaches condemnation.
Simplicity and non-covetousness
What Hinduism teaches
"Everything in this world belongs to the Supreme Lord. One should therefore accept only what is necessary for oneself, and not covet that which belongs to others."
Isha Upanishad, Verse 1 11
"Fearlessness, purification of one's existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity, simplicity..."
Bhagavad Gita 16.1-3 (the divine qualities) 12
The Isha Upanishad, one of the most ancient Vedic texts, opens with this instruction: accept only what you need, and do not covet what belongs to others. The Bhagavad Gita lists simplicity among the divine qualities. Just as the Bible teaches that the greatest of all things is love, just as the Quran teaches that everlasting good deeds are worth more than worldly riches, just as the Buddha taught that contentment is the greatest wealth, the great Vaishnava literature teaches that true abundance is spiritual in nature.
Chris Butler's lectures
"I have surrendered everything unto you, my life, my money, my time, my strength, my pride, my intelligence, my worries, everything, my body, my mind, possessions, power to defend myself, everything I have, I place at your lotus feet."
Butler lecture, August 20, 2003, Code A114A3 7
Butler taught followers to surrender "everything," including their "power to defend myself." In practice, this meant 10 to 20 people working for free to staff his household while he and Huilan Zhang maintained multiple beachfront properties for just two people.
Truthfulness
What Hinduism teaches
"Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others."
Bhagavad Gita 17.15 13
"Human thought should never be allowed to be shackled with sectarian views."
Bhaktivinoda Thakur 2
Truthfulness is listed throughout the Bhagavad Gita as a divine quality. Bhaktivinoda Thakur taught that human thought itself should be free, never shackled by sectarian views.
In practice
Deception and secrecy were Butler's standard operating procedure. He required NDAs, used PGP-encrypted email, compartmentalized information on a "need to know" basis, and organized operations around "plausible deniability." These practices are normal for intelligence tradecraft, not for a yoga teacher. He had no qualms about lying or pressuring other people to lie. 14
Butler demanded his disciples surrender their own intelligence
What the traditions teach
"Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do."
Bhagavad Gita 18.63, Krishna to Arjuna 16
After teaching the entire Bhagavad Gita, Krishna does not command Arjuna to obey. He tells him to think it over and decide for himself. This is not unique to Hinduism. The Quran calls on "people of reason" more than a dozen times: "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" 17 The Buddha told his followers, "Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture... when you know for yourselves that these qualities are skillful, then you should enter and remain in them." 18 The Bible says, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God." 19 The Jewish Talmud honors both sides of a debate as "the words of the living God." 20
Bhaktivinoda Thakur, the very acharya Butler claims to follow, wrote: "We must think for ourselves and try to get further truths which are still undiscovered." 2 Using your intelligence is not optional in any serious religious tradition. It is the foundation.
Chris Butler's lectures
"Your mercy is all that I am made of. Your mercy is all that I am. I have nothing else. I have no strength. I have no intelligence."
Butler lecture, June 16, 2002, Code A101A3-B 7
Every major religious tradition on earth teaches that intelligence, discernment, and inquiry are essential to spiritual life. Butler taught his followers to declare they have none.
The precedent of Bali Maharaja. In the Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 8, Chapter 20), Bali Maharaja, one of the twelve mahajanas, the highest authorities on dharma, rejected his guru Shukracharya's instruction when that instruction was materially motivated and obstructed his devotion to God. The Vaishnava tradition honors Bali precisely for this act. Bhaktivinoda Thakur codified the principle in his Jaiva Dharma: if a guru turns out to be unqualified, or if a guru becomes envious of other Vaishnavas, that guru should be rejected. 1 8
Hiding corruption behind the guise of religion
It is cowardly and dishonest to hide child sexual abuse and corruption behind a veil of supposed religion. If anyone stands up to defend Butler's corruption and his coverup of child sexual abuse, they must be held individually accountable for that choice.
The teachings and practices of Butler and other SIF leaders make a mockery of the Vaishnava Hindu lineage and its sacred texts. He called other Hindu gurus "dogs," "demons," and "nonsense," in 163 documented quotes, while his disciples, like Sunil Khemaney and Tulsi Gabbard, enlisted gurus in those very same traditions to publicly sign coalition letters defending him. 4
Butler claimed to represent a tradition whose greatest acharya, Bhaktivinoda Thakur, taught that compassion is non-negotiable and that unqualified gurus should be rejected. Butler's life and teachings have been infested with deception and hypocrisy from the start. Tulsi Gabbard and other Science of Identity insiders were fully complicit in it.
I do not see how anyone who loves this country can be okay with the level of deception perpetrated on the American people by Tulsi Gabbard and her guru, especially given that her guru and his wife received 15 years of daily airtime on the Chinese Communist Party's state television, airtime that is not commercially available but allocated by the CCP Propaganda Department, while Butler published anti-Western propaganda through five Chinese Communist Party state publishers.
Dividing good people against each other is a horrible thing to do. Butler pits people within SIF against each other. He pushed divisiveness and controversy, whether against women, against LGBT people, against Muslims, against his former followers, or against the media.
Tulsi attacked Muslims. She attacked the LGBT community. She attacked Democrats. She attacked Hillary Clinton. She attacked anytime it got her free publicity. Her own secret network was kept hidden the entire time, including the Chinese Communist Party's backing of her guru.Rebecca Saltzburg
These sectarian symptoms are seen in all countries since time immemorial. This is prominent among neophytes... Amongst the most advanced devotees, however, there is no trace of sectarianism.Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Sri Krishna Samhita 2
Sources & References
- Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 20 ("Bali Maharaja Surrenders the Universe"). Bali Maharaja is listed among the twelve mahajanas, the highest authorities on dharma, in SB 6.3.20-21. He rejected his guru Shukracharya when Shukracharya's instruction was materially motivated and obstructed devotion to Lord Vamana (Vishnu).
- Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Sri Krishna Samhita (1879), Introduction and 8.22. Bhaktivinoda describes sectarianism as an obstacle that takes "the shape of a forest fire" and states that sectarian spirit is "the greatest enemy of mankind." Also: "Human thought should never be allowed to be shackled with sectarian views." The "think for ourselves" quote is from Bhaktivinoda's English lecture The Bhagavata: Its Philosophy, Its Ethics, and Its Theology (Dinajpur, 1869).
- Bhagavad Gita 6.32. Translation from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita As It Is (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust).
- Butler attack quotes from SIF internal recordings, sourced from Butler_Lecture_Attack_Quotes.xlsx, 163 verbatim quotes attacking Hindu gurus and traditions including ISKCON, Gaudiya Math, Paramahansa Yogananda, Sai Baba, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Swami Vivekananda, and the Ramakrishna Mission. Each quote includes lecture code, date, and title. 139 of the 163 quotes target figures or organizations directly connected to the coalition Sunil Khemaney later enlisted to defend SIF.
- Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.12. The Sanskrit term parikshya means "having examined" or "having tested"; the Vedic tradition explicitly instructs seekers to examine and test a guru before accepting them.
- Bhagavad Gita 2.49. Buddhi-yoga, the yoga of intelligence and discrimination, is one of the central teachings of the Gita. Krishna repeatedly encourages Arjuna to use his intelligence, not abandon it.
- Butler lecture transcripts from SIF internal recordings, sourced from Butler_Extreme_Submission_Teachings.xlsx, 25 verbatim quotes spanning 1986-2004, transcribed by SIF members. Lecture codes and tape IDs are documented for each quote.
- Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Jaiva Dharma, Chapter 20. Bhaktivinoda gives two explicit grounds for rejecting a guru: (1) if the disciple discovers the guru was never qualified, and (2) if the guru becomes envious of Vaishnavas due to bad association. Also from Bhaktivinoda: "Mercy to living entities is one of the main constituents of Vaishnava dharma... When this nature is not detected, one cannot become a Vaishnava even if one has thousands upon thousands of other external symptoms."
- Mahabharata, Vana Parva 313.117. The Yaksha-Yudhishthira dialogue is one of the most celebrated passages in Hindu literature, in which Yudhishthira contemplates the subtlety and complexity of dharma.
- Bhagavad Gita 12.13-14. These verses describe the qualities Krishna considers most dear: kindness, compassion, tolerance, equanimity, freedom from envy.
- Isha Upanishad, Verse 1. One of the principal Upanishads, the Isha Upanishad opens with the instruction that everything belongs to the Supreme and one should accept only what is necessary.
- Bhagavad Gita 16.1-3. The divine qualities (daiva sampad) include fearlessness, truthfulness, nonviolence, compassion, gentleness, modesty, simplicity, and freedom from covetousness.
- Bhagavad Gita 17.15. Definition of austerity of speech: truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and non-agitating.
- NDAs, PGP-encrypted communications, and compartmentalized operations are documented in the SIF Forensic Database (19,558 emails, 1,781 decrypted PGP documents). Fabricated social media profiles described in an SIF internal email from Allison Hoen, email ID 9091.
- Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 13.117.37. "Ahimsa paramo dharma," "Nonviolence is the highest dharma," one of the most widely cited ethical principles in Hindu philosophy.
- Bhagavad Gita 18.63. After delivering the entire Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna: "Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do." The Sanskrit vimrshya etad asheshena means "having deliberated on this completely"; yathecchasi tatha kuru means "do as you wish."
- Quran, Surah Az-Zumar (39:9). Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran. The Arabic term ulu al-albab ("people of reason/understanding") appears over a dozen times throughout the Quran.
- Kalama Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya 3.65. Translation: Thanissaro Bhikkhu. The Buddha's instruction to the Kalamas of Kesaputta on evaluating spiritual teachings through direct experience and discernment rather than blind acceptance.
- 1 John 4:1 (NIV). The New Testament instructs believers to actively test spiritual claims rather than accept them without discernment.
- Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 13b. A heavenly voice (bat kol) declares that the competing legal opinions of the schools of Hillel and Shammai are both "the words of the living God," the foundational statement of the Jewish tradition of machloket l'shem shamayim (debate for the sake of heaven).
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